Research Focus
Faculty research programs, supported by federal and industrial grants, include studies of mechanisms of biochemical toxicology, cancer cell biology, cell-cycle regulation and apoptosis, mechanisms underlying cell dysfunction after neurologic trauma, chemical carcinogenesis, free-radical pathobiology, hypersensitivity and chronic inflammation, molecular genetics of hypertension, Lyme disease, tuberculosis, and tissue engineering. Departmental faculty are also active collaborators in a number of national and international research programs.
Core Histology Laboratory - The core provides routine histology, special staining, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and cryotomy services to researchers throughout the academic community. For more info click here.
Dr. Tetyana Cheairs' laboratory - BSB 424, 425: A research program in my laboratory focuses on the use of non-animal models for the study of hazardous effects of chemicals as a replacement of animals in safety assessment. Specifically, we are investigating the use of the avian egg models for an extensive evaluation of multiple endpoints, including genotoxicity, teratogenicity, histopathologic alterations, and gene expression changes after exposure to various environmental chemicals, including prototype carcinogens, flavor and fragrance materials, and pharmaceuticals.
Genomics Core Laboratory - The Genomics Core Lab is established to allow individual investigators access to state of the art genomics equipment. The core laboratory will provide access to Illumina MiSeq apparatus and data analysis system. For more info click here.
Flow Cytometry Laboratory - The Cytometry Core Laboratory of New York Medical College is located in the Brander Cancer Research Institute, a 4,300 sq. ft. research facility in the Department of Pathology. For more info click here.
Dr. H. Dorota Halicka-Ambrokiak's research: Flow cytometry. Cell cycle. Necro biology.. DNA damage. Cell senescence. Biomarkers in treatment of leukemias.
Dr. Paul Arnaboldi's laboratory - BSB C04:
Dr. Shekhar Bakshi's laboratory - BSB 340:
Dr. Debra Bessen's laboratory - BSB 315: Our research continues to focus on group A streptococci and spans a wide range of disciplines: molecular epidemiology, population genetics, bacterial evolution, molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis and vaccine development. Current questions of interest include: What is the underlying genetic organization of this bacterial species? What is a biologically relevant definition for GAS ‘strain?’ What are the molecular determinants of host tissue tropisms at the throat and skin? What are the microenvironmental causes and pathological consequences of antibiotic resistance gene transfer in GAS?
Dr. Jan Geliebter's laboratory - BS B311:
Dr. Sudhir's Jain laboratory - BSB 428: Dr. Jain’s laboratory is focused on genetic factors dictating the propensity of the population to develop hypertension and related diseased conditions. In particular, they study single nucleotide polymorphisms in the renin- angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) with an emphasis towards the impact of this axis on the genesis of hypertension. With available NIH support, they are employing new engineered mouse lines to dissect differential regulation of target genes, whose polymorphisms have been identified in patients with hypertension. Specifically, the consequences of aging on the progression of renal and cardiovascular complications are tested in their experimental models.
Dr. XiuMin Li's laboratory - BSB 319:
Dr. Paul Lucas' laboratory - BSB 404:
Dr. Dana Mordue's laboratory - BSB 436
Dr. Chioma Okeoma's laboratory - BSB 451&452: Dr. Okeoma’s laboratory focuses on understanding how host factors expressed in host cells or present in extracellular structures, such as extracellular vesicles and extracellular condensates, protect the host against infective agents or facilitate disease manifestation. Her laboratory has led in defining the role of BST-2 in breast cancer as reported in multiple publications. Additionally, her laboratory studies the interaction of cellular components and extracellular structures and how they interplay to produce spatiotemporal phenotypes observed in physiological and pathophysiological states.
Dr. Raj Tiwari's laboratory - BSB 318, 438:
Dr. Christopher Whitehurst's laboratory - BSB 314: The lab focuses on the first tumor virus discovered, Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). EBV is the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis (IM) and is strongly associated with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Burkitt’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and acquired and innate immune disorders. More than 125,000 new cases of IM are reported each year in the United States, and ~200,000 new cases of EBV-associated malignancies are reported worldwide per year. EBV encodes a deubiqutinating enzyme, BPLF1, that is necessary for efficient viral infectivity and tumor formation. The lab works to better understand the role of BPLF1 in viral processes and develop treatments via targeting BPLF1.
Dr. Dazhong Xu's laboratory - BSB 455: My laboratory is interested the molecular and cellular biology of cancer. Our goal is to identify novel molecular mechanisms underlying carcinogenesis and cancer progression, with a focus on lung cancer. The lab employs various state-of-the-art molecular, cellular, and genetic tools as well as mouse models to achieve our research goals.
Clinical Pathology Division
The Clinical Pathology Division of the Department of Pathology at Westchester Medical Center of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network is located on the main floor (Section J) of the hospital. It provides regular, specialized and urgent services to the patients at the Medical Center as well as the referred patients from the community physicians or other hospitals.
The division is accredited (with distinction) by the College of American Pathologists and has functioned as a reference laboratory for the State of New York. It includes the following laboratories:
The Flow Cytometry laboratory carries out studies on bone marrows, peripheral bloods and lymph nodes on hundreds of patients with leukemias or lymphomas each year. This laboratory also performs large numbers of immune monitoring and HLA tissue typing.
Elimination of the STAT laboratory and its inclusion in the General Core laboratory is the result of progressive automation and increase in efficiency of the regular laboratories. As the result, the turn-around times for the regular tests (all of which are monitored on a daily basis) has been reduced to an hour or less. Since this corresponds to the national standards for STAT testing (one hour or less), the need for STAT requests has therefore been obviated.
A "superstat" service is available for certain critical tests (e.g., blood counts, electrolytes, etc.) on hand delivered specimens. The turn-around time on these samples is in minutes. Pre-analytic automation is in place. Automated equipment that will accession, process, centrifuge, aliquot (if necessary), automated track that will bring the specimen to the instrument(s) and automated storage are the features of the pre-analytic automation. Furthermore, consolidation of chemistry and immunochemistry testing will also occur. We expect that with this equipment we will have further improvement of turn-around-time, efficiency and reduced cost.
Educational Activities
In addition to an accredited residency program in Clinical Pathology, the service provides basic training in Laboratory Medicine for the second-year medical students. More advanced training is provided as an elective for the fourth-year students. Training is also provided for Hematology-Oncology fellows and Infectious Diseases fellows.
Goals and Mission of Clinical Pathology Service
Today's practice of medicine in an office or a clinic setting often requires specialized testing. Since most hospital laboratories do not perform these procedures, the samples are sent to reference laboratories and the results become available only after the patient has left the office.
The Clinical Laboratories at the WMC Medical Center perform such specialized tests on an emergency basis through a Rapid Response Regional Laboratory. This provides needed diagnostic service, not otherwise available for regional hospitals, clinics and doctor's offices.